Shoe vamp stretcher



May 11, 1954 M. K. DUN 2,677,836 SHOE VAMP STRETCHER Filed Sept. 28, 1951 10 16 INVENTOR Max/4E4. K00 3 g Patented May 11, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHOE VAMP STRETCHER Michael K. Dun, Hollydale, Calif. Application September 28, 1951, Serial No. 248,758

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to devices for stretching and shaping shoe Vamps and more particularly to a vamp stretching device adapted to be mounted on a permanent supporting structure, such as a building wall or a counter.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide an improved shoe vamp stretching device which can be firmly mounted on a rigid support ing structure, such as a building wall or a counter, so that the necessary pressure can be exerted thereon without movement of the device; which provides a rolling action on a shoe vamp, such as the vamp of a ladys pump, to stretch and shape the vamp without tearing or otherwise damaging the vamp or other portion of the shoe; which may have selectively usable rollers of different shapes for shoe Vamps of different shapes and sizes; and which is simple and durable in construction, economical to manufacture, neat and attractive in appearance, and effective and efiicient in operation.

Other objects and advantages will become ap' parent from a consideration of the following description and the appended claim in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shoe vamp stretcher illustrative of the invention showing the manner of operating a shoe vamp thereon;

Figure 2 is a side elevational View of the shoe vamp stretcher, portions being broken away and shown in cross section to better illustrate the construction thereof;

Figure 3 is an end elevational view of the outer end of the vamp stretching roller illustrated in Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of a somewhat modified form of roller;

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of a further modified form of roller; and

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 2, but showing the device modified to include a heating element therein.

With continued reference to the drawing, the vamp stretching device comprises a flat base plate Ill of elongated, substantially rectangular shape having apertures disposed one near each corner thereof to receive screws H or equivalent fasteners for securing the base plate to a fixed supporting structure, such as a building wall, a counter or table, and includes an arm 52 secured at one end to the base plate it substantially centrally of the latter and projecting substantially perpendicularly from one side or the base plate. In the arrangement illustrated, the arm l2 tapers in a direction away from the baseplate and is provided at its outer end with a flat surface substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal center line of the arm and parallel to the adjacent surface of the base plate. The arm is illustrated as in the form of a ladys shoe heel, but obviously, may be provided in various other shapes without in any way exceeding the scope of the invention.

The arm is provided with a tapped hole It in the outer end thereof which hole opens to the fiat outer end surface of the arm and has its longitudinal center line substantially perpendicular to this surface. [in arbor pin It of circular cross sectional shape is threaded at one end into the hole 13 in the arm and has in its other end a tapped hole or recess l5 providing a socket for the screw threaded shank of a retaining screw it.

A roller ll of circular cross sectional shape has a bore l8 extending coaxially therethrough and receiving the arbor pin 44. This roller has a length substantially the same as the length of the portion of the arbor pin projecting from the outer end of the arm i 2 and one end of this roller contacts the outer end surface of the arm l2 while the retaining screw it marginally overlies the other end of the roller surrounding the bore therein to maintain the roller against movement longitudinally of the arbor pin.

The roller ll, as illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 6, is tapered from its end adjacent the retaining screw it to a portion intermediate its length and is concavely curved longitudinally from the smaller end of the tapered portion to the end of the roller adjacent the arm 12, the end adjacent the arm l2 being somewhat smaller than the end adjacent the retaining screw it. This provides a roller having a sharp peripheral edge it at its outer end and a curved neck portion 20 intermediate its length, but nearer the arm 12 than the retaining screw it.

In order to stretch a shoe vamp, the edge of the vamp 2i of a shoe 22 is hooked over the outer edge H! of the roller and the edge of the vamp rolled and pulled back and forth across the edge of the roller until the vamp is stretched and shaped, so that it will not cut into or unduly conetrict the instep of a person Wearing the shoe.

In the modified form of roller illustrated in Fi ure 4, the roller 23 is also of circular cross sectional shape with both ends of substantially the same size and is tapered conically from each end to a location intermediate its length, as indicated at 24, thus providing a roller having an angular neck at the location 24 at which the two conically tapered portions merge and having peripheral edges 25 and 26 at its ends either of which may be located at the outer end of the arbor pin 14 and used for shaping shoe vamps. This roller having selectively usable vamp working or operating edges will have a useful life materially longer than that of a roller having a single operative edge.

It is to be noted, with further reference to the form of the invention shown in Figure 4, that the particular shape of the roller is such as to measurably facilitate the upward turning of a vamp edge. In other words, the vamp edge is first applied to the outer end edge of the roller shown in Figure 4, the shoe then being rolled over said outer or leading end edge and being gradually worked down to the mid length point of the roller defined by the angular neck 24. Continued movement of the shoe in the direction of the inner end of the roller will cause the vamp edge to start up the oppositely tapered inner end por- 'tion of the roller shown in Figure 4, as a result of which the vamp edge is gradually turned upwardly, thus eliminating any bite or cutting 'to the top of the foot when the shoe is subsequently worn. The particular result obtained derives fully from the use of oppositely and conically tapered end portions on the roller, with each of said end portions being so tapered as to cause the degree of taper of each end to be identical to that of the other end, and with an angular neck being defined by the oppositely tapered end portions, midway between the ends of the roller.

In the further modified form or" roller illustrated in Figure 5, the roller 2'! is of bulbous shape and has its outer end portion partly spherical, as indicated at 2B, and its inner end portion substantially cylindrical, as indicated at 29, and joined to the partly spherical outer end portion by a concavely curved neck 30.

In the modified form of the invention illustrated in Figure 6, the arbor pin M is of tubular construction throughout its length and an insulated electric heating element 3| extends longitudinally through the bore of the pin and is connected at one end to an extension cord 32 which projects outwardly of the arm i2 through a bore 33 extending from the inner end of the tapped hole l3 in the arm to the surface of the arm.

When the arbor pin is provided with an internal heating element, the roller will preferably be formed of a material, such as metal, having good heat conductive characteristics. However, where the heating element is omitted, the roller may be formed of various materials, such as metal, wood, ceramic material or synthetic resin plastic. The base plate and arm may also be formed of various suitable materials, such as metal, wood, or synthetic resin plastic.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than be the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claim are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

In a shoe vamp stretcher, a base plate adapted for connection to a supporting surface; an arm secured at one end to and extending outwardly from said base plate, said arm having its other end shaped as a mounting surface of plane formation throughout the area of said mounting surface; and a roller mounted to rotate freely on said arm, said roller being externally configured for shaping of a shoe vamp and having both of its end surface formed wholly flat throughout their respective areas, said fiat end surfaces of the roller being disposed in parallel planes and being selectively engageable against the fiat mounting surface of the arm on reversal of the roller end for end, the roller being of circular cross sectional configuration from end to end thereof with both ends of the roller being of substantially the same diameter, said roller being tapered conically from each end to a location medially between its opposite ends with the degree of taper of each end being identical to that of the other end, thus to provide an angular neck on the roller at the location at which the conically tapered portions merge, for turning upwardly a vamp edge held against one tapered portion and shifted past said neck, both ends of the roller having sharp peripheral, vamp-engaging edges.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,855,693 Rost Apr. 26, 1932 1,862,940 Ralstin June 14, 1932 2,028,321 Dun Jan. 21, 1936 2,532,564 McKay Dec. 5, 1950 

